How to participate

As an annual day of events in which so many of you participate and support, the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government and University of Kentucky will come together to co-sponsor the Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday Commemoration on Monday, January 19, 2009 at Lexington Center Heritage Hall.

The 2009 Featured Events:

  • The traditional Freedom March at 10:00 am
    On January 19, 2009 the Martin Luther King, Jr. Freedom March departs from downtown Lexington Center Heritage Hall on West Main Street at 10:00am. The Freedom March line-up begins at 9:00am in the corridor of Heritage Hall and continues until 10:00am.

    If your organization plans to march, please complete and return the form below, to Terry Allen, MLK March Coordinator, by January 14, 2009. Mr. Allen can be reached at the University of Kentucky by calling (829) 257-8927 or tallen@uky.edu for further information about the march.

    2009 Martin Luther King, Jr. Freedom March – Participant Registration Form (PDF file)

  • The Commemorative Program at 11:00 am
    The Commemorative Program begins at 11:00am in Lexington Center Heritage Halls East and Center.
  • The Ballou Senior High School, Marching Band Documentary at 2:00 pm, Kentucky Theater
    Ballou is a documentary film about the Ballou Senior High School Marching Band from South East Washington DC.  Ballou High School is a struggling inner city school where only 5% of its students go on after high school and graduate college. During the filming of this documentary 58 violent crimes occurred within 1500 feet of the school and our producer was robbed at knife point and beaten on the door steps of another DC public school.
     
    The Ballou Marching Band is a positive force in the lives of the students and in the community. Under the direction of Mr. Darrell Watson, along with the help from his tireless, all volunteer staff, the Ballou Marching Band gives its students opportunities that they would not have otherwise had.  Mr. Watson tries to instill, “life lessons,” as well as simply teaching music to give them the tools they need to succeed in life.

    The breadth of the documentary follows the band on a journey from band camp, to the National High Stepping Marching Band Competition in Birmingham, AL. It is a very personal story about the lives of the band members, the director Mr. Watson, and his hard working staff who are all striving to be an award winning marching band.

    An 86 minute documentary showing at The Kentucky Theater, 214 E. Main Street, Lexington Kentucky. Showing begins at 2:00 pm.
    Free parking is available in the Park Plaza Garage, adjacent to the Lexington Public Library, in the Lexington Fayette Urban County Government building garage, or on the street.

    More about Ballou Senior High School Marching Band (watch video trailer).

The 2009 Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday Planning Committee encourages everyone to participate in these scheduled events, and to become involved in activities that commemorate the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Please advise the committee, in advance, if special accommodations are necessary for the march or the program.